Many appliances may be mandated by various Standard, Agency, Legal and Safety industries to have one or more rating labels semi-permanently or permanently attached to the appliance that provide a variety of information to a user, installer, servicer, and/or inspector. For example, one or more rating labels commonly may be required to provide a variety of electrical information or ratings; ‘WARNING’ labels to users, installers, and/or repair technicians; installation instructions; manufacturer information, address, contact information, etc.; product, catalog, model, and assembly factory information; cross-reference markings to other compatible appliances; etc., among other things. The various Standard, Agency, Legal and Safety industries commonly provide strict requirements or guidelines for the rating labels themselves, such as the material of the rating labels, the position, location, and accessibility or visibility of the rating labels, among other things.
For example, a household cooking appliance commonly is mandated by various Standard, Agency, Legal and Safety industries to have one or more rating labels semi-permanently or permanently attached to the appliance that provide a variety of information to a user, installer, servicer, and/or inspector. For example, one or more rating labels commonly may be required to provide a variety of electrical information or ratings; ‘WARNING’ labels to users, installers, and/or repair technicians (e.g., instructions for reducing risk of ignition, spacing requirements, tipping warnings, etc.); installation instructions; manufacturer information, address, contact information, etc.; product, catalog, model, and assembly factory information; cross-reference markings to other compatible appliances; filter removal and cleaning information; venting instructions for ovens, cook tops, ranges, etc., among other things.
The various Standard, Agency, Legal and Safety industries commonly provide strict requirements or guidelines for the rating labels themselves, such as the material of the rating labels, the position, location, and accessibility or visibility of the rating labels, among other things.
For example, semi-permanent and permanent rating labels or plates commonly may be required to withstand a particular temperature or not be adversely affected by temperature or water. The labels or plates commonly may be required to be in an area where the labels will not char, discolor, fade, or otherwise be compromised by cleaning agents and oven self cleaning temperatures. The rating labels or plates, and/or the means (e.g., adhesive) used to adhere the rating labels or plates to the appliance, also commonly must not be adversely affected by water, moisture, or temperature.
Such rating labels may be required to be clear and prominent and “Readily Accessible” in the standards tested and evaluated by Third Party Testing and Listing Agencies. The markings on the rating label commonly must be readily visible after the appliance is installed as intended. That is, the rating labels must be located where the user, installer, servicer, and/or inspector can view the labels after installation of the appliance (e.g., a cooking appliance) and without the use of tools to view the labels. For example, a marking on a label or plate that is not visible without moving the appliance from its mounting installation typically commonly is not acceptable under the standards. On the other hand, a marking that is not visible unless a part on the appliance is moved or removed may be acceptable if the label or plate can be accessed by removing the part of the appliance without the use of tools. For example, a label or plate commonly must be visible either by opening a door or a drawer, lifting the top of the appliance, or removing one more parts that normally are removable by the user without the use of tools.